New Beginnings
by ElaineAstolat
Summary: Jack and Elizabeth have been married for a year and are about to face a new challenge. Will the hardships pull them apart or bring them together? Will Elizabeth regret her decision to live the difficult life of a mountie's wife?
1. A Change

**Chapter One**

Jack quietly opened the door to their little house of a year. He enjoyed watching Elizabeth work candidly. At the moment she was stirring a pot of soup on the stove with her right hand while reading a book for teaching in her left. Her face was flushed from the heat of the stove and loose tendrils of hair clung in damp curls around her face. Jack's observance was interrupted by Rip's greeting bark, which startled Elizabeth from her concentration.

"Jack." She put the book down and went to greet him with a hug.

"Something smells good." He commented. In the year that they had been married, Elizabeth had worked hard to improve on her cooking skills by taking notes from Abigail, Rosemary, and even Jack himself. He knew that she put a lot of effort in to please him.

Elizabeth moved to return to the stove, but Jack held her firmly, causing her to look up in surprise.

"12 hours is too long to go without kissing my wife." His voice was deep with desire and he cupped her chin and brought her face in for a kiss.

"You're such a goof, Jack." she laughed and playfully pushed his chest away. "Anything interesting happen today?" She asked from the kitchen area.

Jack fingered the telegram inside his coat pocket.

"Yes, actually." He came up behind her and rested a hand on her soft waist.

"You sound serious. Is everything ok?"

"Well, you know how you told me you'd eventually like to move to a more remote place further north? And teach children there?"

Her eyes widened. "Yes. What are you saying?"

He pulled the telegram from his jacket. "I got word today that I'm being transferred north."

She grasped the letter and eagerly read its contents.

"Oh, Jack! I don't even know what to say. I...I've come to love Hope Valley so dearly."

"So have I." He took her hand and wove his calloused fingers through hers. "But this is the next chapter in our lives. A new adventure; new people I'm sure we will grow to love just as much."

Elizabeth tried to picture another Abigail, but couldn't. She had come to this town at such a pivotal time in these widows' grieving and had been there for them just as they had been there for her first time on her own. How could she leave such a bond?

Jack watched the sorrow pass over her eyes.

"Don't worry, Elizabeth. We'll make it through this together."

That night Jack felt a space wedge between them as they lay in bed. Elizabeth had rolled away from him to face the wall. She had been quiet and thoughtful all night. As Jack rolled onto his back to face the ceiling, his heart continued to sink. He was responsible for this pain that his wife was experiencing. He was used to the routine moves – they were part of being a mountie. The force did not want the constables to get too attached to one place – but it was hard on women. For the umpteenth time, Jack wondered if he had made the right decision in giving in to his feelings and courting and marrying Elizabeth. He would have a constant, loving mate by his side – but what had _she_ gained? A life of hardship and heartache? Constantly building close relationships only to be torn away from them? A life of being denied the comforts and luxuries she was used to? He had taken on the responsibility to care for her when he married her – and now couldn't help but feel that he was failing her miserably. _"If the force wanted us to have wives they would have issued them to us."_ His old words flashed though his mind.

By the time Elizabeth turned in her sleep and reached for him out of habit, he was so worked up that he stiffened to her touch. Thank goodness she was asleep so that she could not be hurt by this as well.


	2. Fort Red Deer

**Chapter Two**

Their things were all packed in crates, and they had said their good-byes – tearfully on Elizabeth's part. All week a silence and estrangement had existed between them. Jack wondered how much she resented him for these events.

"What will it be like in our new town?" Elizabeth broke the silence of their last meal in their first home.

"It's hard to say until we get there. It will definitely be more remote than Hope Valley – not an easy journey to a big town like Hamilton. The people there will mostly be Indian. Our living quarters will not be so...modern." He did not meet her gaze as he told her these things.

"A _tent?_ " Elizabeth gasped in surprise. This was not a possibility she had considered.

"It's possible. I don't know." He took a slow bite of bread. "Elizabeth...you can stay here. It's not too late. My assignment may only be a few months and I can come back to visit as often as possible..."

A quick hand on his stopped him and he finally looked her in the face and saw the hurt in her expression.

"Jack...is that what you want?" She choked. "To leave me? To be apart for months?"

He quickly turned her hand so that he could hold it in his own.

"Of course not! I just thought maybe you'd prefer to be here – with more comforts and friends you love."

"Jack, the only comfort I need is you. I knew what possibilities there might be in marrying you, and I'll stand by your side. And don't forget, it _is_ my dream to move north. I will simply miss the children and the widows here."

Her reassurance strengthened Jack and filled him with new resolve.

"I'll always be here for you, Elizabeth."

It seemed that most of the town of Hope Valley was gathered to see Jack and Elizabeth off on their journey. They were traveling with a caravan of supplies to the new posting at Fort Red Deer. The belonging there were taking with them were carefully packed into one of the loaded wagons. The crowd made it even more difficult to leave it all behind.

The journey north took them over three days. They were not able to ride the entire way - at times they traveled by foot, and at times by barge. After they left Hope Valley, they didn't see another town until they reached their new home. At first there had been occasional cabins belonging to hunters and trappers, but after that, no civilization for the past two days.

Elizabeth's feet ached from walking and her backside was sore from riding for long stretches followed by sleeping on the rocky ground at night. She already missed female friends. Their two traveling companions were men and they didn't talk much.

Although the view of the mountains and wilderness was breathtaking as they ventured north and saw the leaves changing colors as a sign of the changing season, new fears filled Elizabeth's mind – mostly questions of the unknown.

Jack was proud of Elizabeth for being so strong on their journey. She never once complained, although they were all feeling the stiffness and aching that accompanied such travel. The nights were also dipping into cold temperatures and although they slept by the fire, Jack always took a shift of the night watch and could only curl up tightly next to her for warmth for part of the night.

By the end of the third day – they were all happy to see Fort Red Deer.

Elizabeth was glad to have Jack by her side as they dismounted and headed toward the general store. The small cabin was the only modern building in the village. Wigwams were laid out in a circular shape which included the store in its pattern. Everyone Elizabeth saw was Indian and they had stopped and stared as the caravan had approached. Elizabeth felt her face grow hot from being watched, and was glad to head inside the store with Jack.

They found a man inside from back east who was a trapper-turned-store-owner. He was polite, but lacked warmth and friendliness. He dealt with the men while Elizabeth looked around the store. It did not carry many of the items she was used to finding in Hope Valley. Only basics stocked the shelves and very few of even these. Considering the customers, this made sense. Indian women knew how to use their natural resources and not rely on the store for their needs. She would have plenty to learn from them.

Finally, Jack finished his business with Mr. Wainwright, the store owner, and took her hand.

"We'll head to the cabin now." He told her.

"Oh!" Elizabeth smiled with relief. She had known that a tent would be a possibility and figured that one of the wigwams would be theirs.

"Constable Birch will be there tonight, but will be leaving for his new post in the morning."

Elizabeth nodded. After three days of sleeping on the trail with two other men, she wouldn't mind sharing a real building for one more night.

The mountie's cabin turned out to be just a bit beyond the wigwam village, closer to the edge of the woods. Elizabeth noted a few other cabins nearby and hoped there might be a few women like her living there. She had smiled at the Indian women as they had walked to the cabin, but they had only stared in response. She knew not to take it seriously, but it had been disheartening.

The cabin was small – one large room with a kitchen and a small sitting area with a fireplace. A bedroom was off to the side. The constable had already packed all of his things and they were stacked by the door. The rooms looked very sparse.

"I was surprised to hear the new constable had a wife." Birch looked critically over Elizabeth. "I don't think anyone posted here has ever brought a woman with him."

"Well, Elizabeth has a strong nature and was just as eager to go north as I was." Jack placed a defensive arm around her. Though she was glad to hear the confidence in his voice, her own wavered and she wished they could be alone on their first night here and speak openly to each other.

After a simple dinner, Elizabeth retired to the bedroom. The men were discussing the details involved in passing the post off to Jack, and she was weary from traveling. Thankfully, Birch had given them the bedroom and agreed to take the couch on his final night.

By the time Jack came in, he found her fast asleep, still in her day clothes and boots. She did not even stir as he gently unlaced her boots and slid them off, or when he settled in next to her.


	3. Settling In

**Chapter Three – Settling In**

Elizabeth woke the next morning to find the sun brightly shining into the room. She jumped out of bed, wondering how she could have slept so late. She groaned as she looked down at her crumpled clothes and realized that she hadn't even changed out of them the previous night.

She ventured out to the main room, half expecting to see constable Birch still there, but his crates were all gone and the men were both absent. She relaxed some, realizing that the cabin was officially all hers, or theirs, now. It needed a lot of softening up – something that she was sure the men who had lived here before had never done, but their personal crates had not been delivered yet.

She wondered into the kitchen area and noticed a note on the table.

 _Dear Elizabeth,_

 _I didn't want to wake you this morning. I am sure you needed rest after our trip. I'll be gone until dinner, but I'll arrange to have the crates brought in by some of the villagers._

 _Love,_

 _Jack._

Elizabeth wondered what she would do with herself until then. She glanced around for a tub, desperate for a bath. She found one hanging conveniently from the wall. She went to the kitchen area and stopped short. There was no running water in their house – a detail she had missed in her weariness last night.

She headed outside to find the pump, but there wasn't one. A bucket stood by the door with shallow amount of water in it. There had to be a stream or river around, but she should probably wait for Jack to show her, instead of lugging the heavy bucket in her search.

With nothing else to do, Elizabeth decided to do some nearby exploring without the bucket. She set out east of the cabin, hoping that the curious eyes of the villagers would not be following her.

The sight of the mountains was beautiful. Snow covered their peaks, while reds, yellows, and browns spotted the bases of the mountains among the vast number of evergreens. Their new home and the village were nestled a valley. As she walked, Elizabeth kept her eyes open for another white woman who she might be able to communicate with and befriend, but didn't see anyone at all.

After about 30 minutes of walking, her search proved fruitful and she found a rushing river. It was far too fast-moving to cross, but surely the water could be used...though a 30 minute trek was certainly inconvenient. She sat down by the edge of the water, determined to at least wash her face and hands. She was startled by how icy-cold the water was, but continued in her task. As she brought a handful of water to her face, she heard a loud snort to her left, and froze.

Slowly turning her head, she found herself facing an enormous moose standing several yards down in the shallows of the river. His head was half-bent toward the water to drink, but his eyes were on her and his nostrils were flaring in anger – their heavy exhales appearing as clear puffs in the cold air. Elizabeth remained still, heart pounding in her chest. She did not know if these creatures were dangerous, but considering its size and solid antlers, she would stray on the side of caution. Her neck began to cramp from holding it at that angle, and her feet, covered in about an inch of water, became painfully cold. Finally, the moose decided disinterest in her, and moved on.

Deciding she had experienced enough adventure for the day, Elizabeth re-laced her shoes, and headed back toward the cabin. Her stomach growled, and she realized she had not yet eaten anything today. Unfortunately, Abigail's cafe was now further than a stroll down main street.

As she approached the cabin, she saw several young Indian men stacking their crates by the door. Elizabeth blushed to see how little they wore.

"Thank you!" she called out to them as she drew nearer. The men turned to stare at her, their faces stern and unemotional. Suddenly one said something to the rest in their language and pointed to her skirts. They all laughed and stared more before turning to leave. Elizabeth turned red, wishing she knew what it was that they were mocking.

She used the rest of the afternoon to arrange some of the items they had brought with them. Her books of course – though there was no shelf, she stacked them neatly in the sitting area. They had only room for a portion of her collection, while the rest remained in Hope Valley.

A few cups and plates went in the kitchen. Two rough shelves had been nailed to the wall there. A quilt from back home made a huge difference on the bed in the little room and made her feel slightly less homesick.

By the time Jack returned, Elizabeth had sat down for a rest with a book.

"I see you've made a mark on the place already." He said with a grin as he removed his hat and set it on a crate by the door.

"Do you like it?" Elizabeth asked, rising to give him a hug. He folded her into his embrace. He smelled of the outdoors – fresh air, pine, and sweat.

"What I really like is that I'm finally alone with my wife."And with that he kissed her until she felt her knees weaken. They continued the exchange until a series of giggles causes them to pull apart.

Elizabeth gasped at the sight of a group of village children with their faces pushed up to their window.

"Shoo!" Jack told them with accompanying hand motions, though his face was lined with humor.

"I guess curtains should be next on your list." He grinned at her.


	4. Welcome Ceremony

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for the kind reviews! I'm glad to know that you enjoy the story and it encourages me to keep writing! Continue to review and share your thoughts!**

 **\- ElaineAstolat**

 **Chapter Four – Welcome Ceremony**

"What did you do today?" Jack asked, sitting on the hand-made couch and pulling her onto his lap. Elizabeth told him of her adventure.

"Just...be careful, Elizabeth. There are more dangers out here than you are used to. Grizzly bears, mountain lions, coyotes, and men who we don't know. There is a stream much closer in the back, near the barn. I'll bring you enough water for a bath in the morning."

"Barn?" Elizabeth responded in surprise.

He smirked. "Yes. Our food will come with a bit more work than it did in Hope Valley. I'll have Mrs. O'Callaghan show you the ropes tomorrow as well. I'm sure she'll be very helpful to you."

Elizabeth's ears perked hopefully. " _Mrs._ O'Callaghan?"

"Yes. She's Brian O'Callaghan's wife. He's a trapper with a cabin just to the west of ours." He pointed. Brian's one of the most respected non-natives here. I'm sure I'll be working with him often."

After another simple meal of bread and a bit of hard cheese, Jack took Elizabeth's hand – a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"I have surprise for you, Mrs. Thornton. It might be a bit overwhelming, but trust me."

"Ok..." Elizabeth hesitantly followed him out the door. It had grown dark and she could see the bright sparks of a huge bonfire in the center of the village.

"The Indians are welcoming us." He told her. She saw that almost every villager was gathered around the fire, and they all seemed to be waiting for them. Elizabeth clutched Jack's arm, feeling suddenly shy and very out of place. She noticed festive beads paint on the villager's faces and beads upon beads draped about their necks. As they drew closer, two young Indian women separated themselves from the crowd and approached Jack and Elizabeth to lead them to their spot in the circle.

All was quiet for a moment, and then the chief, wearing a large head costume of animal fur, boomed a beginning speech. Elizabeth had no clue what he was saying, but followed Jack's lead in listening solemnly. The chief ended his speech by approaching the couple. Jack and Elizabeth rose to their feet, and accepted the chief's gift of a very large animal fur.

Jack spoke native words of appreciation to him, causing Elizabeth's eyes to widen even more in surprise. Jack spoke loudly and confidently so that the whole tribe could hear. They sat down again and the chief moved back to his place.

That was when the real excitement began. Drums began to beat all around them, and beautiful chants commenced, and dancing began. Both men and women moved in celebratory choreography, all around the circle. Elizabeth kept her eyes wide to catch all of the merriment of the ceremony, which continued late into the night.

"What did you think of all that?" Jack asked when they finally returned to the cabin.

"It was very exciting! But Jack, I didn't know you spoke Indian!"

Jack laughed. "Kutenai is a dialect similar to the Indian tribe that I grew up near. My father was stationed near several Indian villages as we grew up. I am familiar with some of their ceremonies and rituals." He explained.

"I've never seen anything like it. It's certainly not how I had envisioned spending the evening." She laughed.

"Me either." Jack said huskily. He let go of Elizabeth to drop their gift – a bear skin, and laid it out as a rug by the fireplace.

"I had thoughts of a different kind of ceremony." He teased, and pulled her toward the bedroom, unable to see her blushing smile in the dark.


	5. Learning the Ropes

**Chapter Five – Learning the Ropes**

As promised, Jack hauled water from the steam for Elizabeth's bath the next morning. She was used to heating water on the stove from her days in Hope Valley.

"I never thought I would view Hope Valley as having 'modern conveniences'" Elizabeth laughed as Jack placed the final bucket inside the door. His eyes immediately darkened with worry.

"It's a fun adventure, Jack. I'm not complaining." She smiled to reassure him, but was not sure she was completely successful.

"Don't forget to nail some curtains up before you get in." He reminded her, recalling their embarrassment at being spied on yesterday.

"Privacy isn't exactly one of their customs." He grinned, tipped the brim of his hat at her, and left for the day.

–

Elizabeth had just finished her long soak and gotten dressed for the day, when a knock sounded at the door. She buttoned the last button on her dress and went to see who was there.

A petite woman with brown curly hair piled in a bun stood on her doorstep, frowning at Elizabeth. The woman looked to be only a few years older than Elizabeth. She stood there looking Elizabeth up and down. Elizabeth turned her gaze downward, smoothing out her dress and wondering what the problem was.

"Mrs. Mountie?" The woman asked in a thick Irish accent.

"Yes. Well, Mrs. Thornton, but you can call me Elizabeth. You must be Mrs. O'Callaghan."

"Yup. But most people call me Mrs. Brian. My name's Molly if you care to know though." She still did not smile.

"Would you care to come in?" Elizabeth opened the door wider. "I can make some tea?"

Molly laughed. "No, ma'am. I'd say we've got plenty of work to do today. The sooner you learn the ropes, the better, I'd be guessin. No use being useless."

Elizabeth tried not to take offense. "Ok. Jack mentioned that you would be a big help to me."

"I'm sure I will." The woman said confidently. "Let's get started by the barn."

Elizabeth followed her neighbor, pulling the cabin door shut and hurrying to keep up.

"I was so glad to learn that there was another white woman in Fort Red Deer. You don't know how relieved I was." Elizabeth told her as they walked towards the woods.

"Didn't your man tell you there were women here?" She tskked her tongue. "Sometimes men don't think of how important female companionship is. Yes, there's me and another, Mrs. Aaron. She's none too friendly though. Most of the trappers marry Indian women when they come out this way, though." Molly told her.

They made their way through a line of trees, and came to a crude stone structure built just in front of a small stream.

"This usually keeps the bears and coyotes out, but the most important thing to remember is latching the door on your way out. Losing these animals would make a very rough winter for us." Molly said sternly, and opened the door to the dark barn.

"Your husband bought half of what was in here. We've got chickens, cows, and pigs. I assume you've done some barn work before?"

Elizabeth was trying not to gag at the intoxicating smells that had hit her as soon as the door had been opened. Molly was moving about lighting lanterns, which cast a dim light on the livestock.

"No. No experience." Elizabeth told her. Molly looked at her incredulously.

"Must have been some life you lived before this." She commented. "Well pull up a stool and I'll show you."

Elizabeth spent the next couple of hours learning how to milk, muck stalls, feed the animals, tell a fertilized egg from a non-fertilized egg, and make sure that the barn was secure from predators. She felt overwhelmed, exhausted, and filthy when all was through. Molly seemed to take some satisfaction from the state of Elizabeth's previously neat attire.

"Now we'll go back to my place and I'll show you the ropes in the kitchen. You can cook, right?"

Elizabeth led her head fall back in defeat. Cooking the basics had been a difficult challenge for her. Cooking out here in the wilderness was sure to be 10 times as difficult. This woman must think that Elizabeth was completely incompetent.

They entered a cabin slightly larger than Jack and Elizabeth's. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the light, and then she took in the surroundings.

The room was perfectly neat, scrubbed, and tidy. It had a softer look to it than Elizabeth had been able to accomplish so far. Crudely-made log furniture stood about. Just as in their own cabin, a large bear skin served as a rug. Knit and wool blankets were stacked in large piles by the sitting area. A few cots were also pushed along the sides of the walls in the main room.

"You don't have any children?" Elizabeth asked cautiously.

Molly gave her a look. "This wilderness is no place for children. I told my Brian that when we move back to a more civilized area we could have a family. We'll see if that ever happens."

"Now," Molly said, moving to the kitchen. "This here is bear grease. It is great for all kinds of cooking, and important to harvest when you have a fresh bear."

Elizabeth's knees began to wobble at the sight and idea of such a thing. She grabbed hold of the side of the table for support.

The afternoon was filled with lessons on cooking bear, moose, and rabbit meat. Elizabeth was also told that Molly would show her how to clean the animals the next time they caught one.

"I'd show you the garden too, but we've already harvested it for the year." Molly told her. "Tomorrow we'll go out looking for edibles in the woods. But next spring I'll show you the garden."

"That's ok." Elizabeth said faintly, still trying to process everything she had learned. From where she stood next spring seemed a very long and difficult time away.

She trudged home with a pot of the bear stew she and Molly had made together, and collapsed on the couch as soon as he reached it. That was exactly where Jack found her when he came home.

"Mmm, smells good in here." He commented appreciatively. "Did it go well with Mrs. O'Callaghan?" He moved to stand in front of her, and grinned at the dirt smeared across her cheeks and dress. His grin dissipated when he noticed her quivering lip and the tears silently making trails down her cheeks.

"What is it, Elizabeth?" He knelt in front of her and took her hands in his.

"I don't know if I can do this, Jack! I felt so brave and confident in Hope Valley, but I'm not sure I am capable of doing everything the way Molly does. I have so much to learn... I want to be a good wife for you – I really do, but...maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

Jack moved up on the couch next to her and tipped her chin up. "Now listen here." He told her firmly. "I have seen you be brave and overcome more obstacles than I ever would have imagined when I first met you. I know that you are not the type of woman to give up, but someone who faces challenges and turns out better for them. I don't expect anything from you, but I know that you will grow and learn and fit in here just fine if you give it a chance. Ok?"

Elizabeth nodded slowly.

"Jack...there's one more thing." She said hesitantly. A pink crept into her cheeks to bring the subject up.

"What is it?"

"Well...Molly said...it would be foolish to have children out here. I was wondering...what your thoughts were on that?" Elizabeth did not meet his gaze. She did not want him to know how badly she longed for a baby.

Jack did not respond right away. "Well. You already know that I was anxious about bring a woman out here. The hardships are very difficult and there are a lot of dangers. I would have to agree that a baby would not be the best of circumstances while we are stationed here, which is why I am glad to have gotten this post early in our marriage. There will be time for a family at our next posting in a more established town." The image of Elizabeth with the twins that she had helped deliver came to his mind. She had looked quite charming with the babies in her arms, but he quickly shook the memory out of his head.

"I got word today that a wave of trappers are headed for Fort Red Deer soon. We didn't expect that in a space so far north, but apparently they got word of the game up here and want in. I'm sending a request for another officer in the morning. We may need backup."


	6. Trouble Begins

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much for your reviews! I'm glad to know that you enjoy my little daydreams about Jack and Elizabeth!

 **Chapter Six – Trouble Begins**

A week had passed since Mary had first shown Elizabeth the way things worked. Since then Elizabeth had become more skilled in her farm chores and even her cooking skills. She was glad to have learned to make more interesting meals for them, and even more glad that Jack seemed to actually enjoy something she had made. She knew her cooking lessons from Mary were working when Jack went back for second helpings. She was in the process of cooking a goose that Jack had shot when someone knocked at the door.

"You must be the new reinforcement." Elizabeth stated when she opened the door to a mountie. He was slightly shorter than Jack, and a bit bulkier. Elizabeth guessed him to be in his early thirties.

"Yes ma'am." He took off his hat and nodded. "Constable Donnovan. Just arrived. Is your husband home?"

"No, he's out doing his rounds right now. If you want to settle in to your cabin and come back for dinner?"

Constable Donnovan eyed the sizzling meat appreciatively. "Sounds good, ma'am. I'll see you then."

Jack filled Constable Donnovan in over dinner.

"We've had about 20 new trappers within a 10 mile radius of Fort Red Deer." He told the new officer.

"And that's about double the number you originally had?"

"Yes. There have already been a few skirmishes over trapping lines, but I expect it to get much worse when winter sets in. I have also seen first hand the liqueur some of these men have brought with them, as well as some of the distilleries they've created." Jack added.

"Sounds like a recipe for trouble." Donovan commented.

"You've got that right." Jack agreed.

"I have to say I was surprised to hear that the constable posted here had a wife." Donnovan said, changing the subject.

Jack sat back in his chair and put his arm around Elizabeth proudly. "Elizabeth has really adapted well to our new home. I wouldn't expect just any woman to be able to make it so far north like this, but my Elizabeth is a determined woman." He winked at her.

The fall weather did not seem to last long. Before she knew it, Elizabeth found herself wrapping up in heavy shawls and wishing for a fire to keep her warm. The trees seemed to have dropped all of their leaves suddenly. It was much colder much sooner than she had expected.

In exchange for training Elizabeth in the ways of the north, Elizabeth had regular book meetings with Mary. She lent out one piece of literature at a time, and when Mary was done with the book, they would sit and talk about it over tea. Mary had not completed her formal schooling, and was glad to get the chance to read something challenging and discuss it with the teacher.

Elizabeth found it challenging to have her typical role reversed more often than not – she was a student in many ways in her new environment. Now that she had gotten some of the basics of northern-life under her belt, Mary was beginning to teach her some of the Indian dialect spoken in this village, along with some of the customs. Elizabeth had tried out a few words, and not received an especially warm response, but was determined to continue learning.

She was sitting with Mary in her cabin one afternoon when shouting came outside her door, and two village men came right in without so much as a knock. A younger villager was supporting one of the older men of the tribe, who was covered in a feverish sweat and looking very weak. The younger Indian man was shouting words Elizabeth could not understand, except for "Jack."

Mary jumped to her feet and helped the young man set the sick one down on a chair in the sitting area. She conversed with him for a moment and then turned to Elizabeth.

"You need to ride out and find Jack! This man is very sick – it looks like it might be Cholera. I'll tend to him the best I can here."

"Cholera!" Elizabeth grew pale at the idea. "There's never been mention of that in this area."

"I know the signs. There was a huge outbreak when I first moved west." Mary told her. "Hurry!"

Elizabeth fled to the barn area where the horses were kept along with the farm animals. She didn't know the first thing about where she would find Jack, but thankfully Constable Donnovan must have seen her running and had quickly followed.

"Oh good! We need Jack right away! Or maybe you should come, one of the villagers is very sick." Elizabeth explained hurriedly.

Constable Donnovan grew extremely distressed at the discription of the sickness. "This is what we were afraid of." he said. "The new men are bringing diseases with them that the villagers are not equipt to combat. We ordered vaccinations, but they won't arrive until next week."

"But none of the new trappers are sick, that I know of." Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that they don't carry the germs of the disease with them. They have been around all kinds of sickness in the gold-mining towns. The conditions are unbearably crowded and the hygiene is nowhere up to standard." He threw a saddle on his horse. "I'll go get Jack. They trust him more when it comes to these things."

Elizabeth knew that both men would have received the same medical training as part of their time at the academy. Jack had explained to her that mounties often had to act not only as law enforcers, but also judges, jailers, doctors, dentists, etc. Especially in remote settings suck as this one.

Already Jack had stitched up some wounds from a bear injury for a trapper and pulled a tooth for one of the seasoned trappers who had let the tooth rot to the point of being in so much pain that he couldn't work.

Grateful that Constable Donnovan was on his way, Elizabeth turned back to the cabin to see how she could assist Mary in caring for the ill man while they waited.


	7. A Search for Students

**Chapter Seven – A Search for Students**

By the next morning there had been six more outbreaks of the symptoms that the young villager had been brought in with. Jack had done what he could for the young man and sent him home for his family to care for him. Without the vaccinations there wasn't much that could be done. Jack met with the chief and urged him to stress the importance of hygiene for the villagers with the disease spreading so quickly. Keeping hands and eating utensils as clean as possible could mean life or death for some of them.

They had not yet received snow, but it would happen any day now. When they woke up in the mornings, everything was covered with a thick frost. Elizabeth still went to visit Mary every day and worked with her to make candles and make sure they had enough canned goods stocked for the upcoming season. Mary was also helping Elizabeth in her knitting skills. They had not brought much with them from Hope Valley, so anything extra Elizabeth could make in the way of sweaters or blankets would be helpful. Elizabeth still struggled not to compare herself too much to Mary. It seemed that everything Mary did she excelled at, while Elizabeth was just a beginner at this lifestyle. She tried not to wonder too much if she was really cut out for this, but focus instead on the fact that she and Jack were fulfilling their dreams.

"I'm getting better at the language." Elizabeth told her husband as they sat in front of the fire that night.

"I think I might have enough words to be able to start going into the village and talking with the children."

Jack's face was etched with worry – Elizabeth knew that the outbreak of sickness weighed heavily on his mind. His focus cleared and what she said seemed to register with him.

"Elizabeth," he laced his fingers through hers. "I am proud of you for all your work, but I don't want you to go into the village right now. The disease seems to double every day. I won't have you getting it too. If you need something from the store, just let me know and I'll get it for you."

Elizabeth's shoulders wilted. She had hoped to be able to at least establish a good connection with the village children before the heavy snow set in.

"You might want to start with the trappers' children." Jack suggested. I know there are at least a handful that arrived with the new trappers. They will be just as much in need of schooling, and you won't have to overcome the language barrier to work with them. It would be a good starting place."

"You're right. Maybe I'll head out there tomorrow and make my rounds of introduction."

"Why don't you wait for me, and I'll take you. I know where all the cabins are, so there won't be a chance of getting lost." Jack suggested.

Elizabeth did not reply, knowing that she did not want to wait until Jack had the time to get started. She missed her time with children too much. It was a big change to go from seeing her students in Hope Valley every day to just seeing a couple of adults on a daily basis. Considering that Jack was against having children this far north, Elizabeth knew that her only immediate chance of working with little ones would be to do as he had suggested, and meet the trapper's families.

That night Elizabeth dreamed of a time back before they were married. She remembered helping out on a homestead with two of her students while their father had made a short trip. One night Jack had come over to help, and when he thought she was fast asleep, had confessed his dreams of settling down and having children. She had pictured her life in a very different way than roughing it in the northern wilderness when he had mentioned that. This was not a big old farm house, but a tiny and bare cabin- not only bare of most comforts, but also bare of children.

The next morning Jack left early to make rounds checking on those who were sick. There were several who he was concerned might not last long enough for the vaccinations to arrive. The medicine woman in the village was working hard with her herbal remedies, but they weren't strong enough for a disease this intense.

While he was gone, Elizabeth packed up some of her readers that she had brought from Hope Valley, and put more care into her hair and dress than she had begun to recently. She was grateful that the women of Hope Valley had helped her prepare some more basic clothing than what she had worn even as a teacher. There was no room for frivolities here at Fort Red Deer.

She completed her chores at the barn before saddling up a horse to go looking for the trappers. She noticed a definite change in temperature today. There was a harsh bite to the cold that had not been there previously. She wrapped her scarf more tightly around her neck, and wished that she had worn gloves as well, but would not be deterred from her mission.

She was fairly sure that there was a cluster of cabins to the west of the village, and headed that way. She knew that Mary would have been able to help her out with directions, but had not told her the plans, knowing that Mary would only insist that Elizabeth wait for Jack.

Twenty minutes into her ride, Elizabeth was rewarded with the sight of smoke pouring from a chimney through the trees. She hurried her horse closer, dismounted, and tied it to a nearby tree.

"Hello?" She knocked nervously.

A man with a thick dark beard opened the door. He smelled terrible, and Elizabeth could see a jug of some kind sitting on the table. She had no doubt that it was related to the barrels outside that looked like a small distillery.

The man spoke in French to her, and then switched to English when he saw the confusion on her face. He was rough and did not appear friendly, even after Elizabeth had introduced herself as Jack's wife. Unfortunately, this man did not have a wife or children, but he pointed out the general direction of the next cabin over, where he knew the trapper had a wife and three children. Elizabeth thanked him and hurried back to her horse.

Snow had begun to fall thick and quickly. Elizabeth ignored it, and made her way onward.

"Elizabeth?" Jack called out, coming back to their cabin for lunch. He felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. The first villager had night last night of Cholera, and there had been nothing he could have done to help. He knew that Elizabeth would be just as heartbroken at the news.

The fire had burned down to embers, and the cabin was dark due to the thick clouds from the oncoming snow storm. Jack noticed that Elizabeth's coat was gone, and figured she must have gone to barn for her chores. He added more wood to he fire, and went to go check on her to warn her of the snowfall.

After finding the barn empty, Jack walked to Mary's cabin to talk to Elizabeth there, but found that Mary hadn't seen her all morning. With a sinking feeling, Jack realized where she had gone.

"Why wouldn't she wait for you to do that?" Mary asked aghast. Snow had covered the ground in at least an inch in the last half hour, and showed no signs of stopping. Elizabeth was unfamiliar with the area, and aside from the danger of wild animals and men she didn't know, she now faced the danger of a heavy snow storm.

"Elizabeth is a headstrong woman." Jack stated. "She's not known for being overly patient either."

Jack immediately went for his horse and headed toward the nearest trapper's cabin eastward. He checked four cabins and had just headed back west of the village when he came to the first family that had seen her.

"Yes, she was here about two hour ago" a trapper's wife told him. The woman was all skin and bones, and didn't look like she would keep warm even with the thick shawl she had. Two small children played with basic blocks by the fire.

"I told her about the next cabin about a mile up." The wife told Jack. "There are four youngins there."

Jack tipped his hat in thanks, and hurried on. The snow was growing deeper, and the sky was getting darker with nightfall. Soon it would take a lantern to be able to see well in these thick woods.

He found the family with four children, just as the previous one had told him, but they had not met Elizabeth. She must have gotten lost in her search.

Jack turned toward the east to see if she had gone too far that way. Finally, he discovered some faint horse tracks that had begun to be covered by new snow. He followed them until he found one of their horses, standing alone under the shelter of a tree. It was saddled, but Elizabeth was nowhere in sight.

Jack's heart began to beat wildly in panic. She could be anywhere. He tied the horse behind his own and began to circle the area, calling her name loudly. Finally, he spotted her huddled against a large boulder, shivering uncontrollably. She jumped up when she saw him approaching, and tried not to cry.

"You...found me." She stuttered through chattering teeth. ,Jack jumped off his horse and pulled her close to him.

"What were you thinking, Elizabeth?" he murmured into her hair, trying not to be angry now that he had found her.

"I just wanted to try to meet some families today, but there was a bobcat or something that startled the horse, and he took off. I fell, and couldn't find him again."

Jack realized that her hands were bare and quickly removed his gloves and slipped them on her hands. "The heat might sting at first." he warned, and she winced as he rubbed her hands between his own. He hoped that no permanent frostbite had taken place. The temperatures were beginning to slip well into the negatives with the night falling. He helped her up in front of him on his horse and led them home. Elizabeth allowed herself to rest against his chest and absorb some of his body heat. She had tried to exert her independence this morning, but found herself being rescued by Jack once more. She was grateful that he had found her in more ways than one.


	8. A Dak Night

**Author's Note:** Once again, thank you for the kind reviews! I always love to hear what you think and if you're enjoying it.

 **Chapter Eight – A Dark Night**

Elizabeth could not stop shaking from the cold as Jack steered them back to their cabin. He pushed the horse to its limit, and Elizabeth wondered at how Jack knew the way home in the swirling snowstorm and the almost pitch-black night. When they got to the cabin, Jack threw the reigns to Constable Donovan, who had been waiting there for them, and quickly carried Elizabeth inside.

"I'm fine, Jack, really." Elizabeth tried to convince him, as he settled her by the fire, threw off her snow-soaked coat, and piled blankets on top over her.

Jack took in her flushed face with concern, and touched a cool palm to her cheek.

"You're burning up." he said worriedly. "I want you to stay right here."

"But...I should make us dinner." Elizabeth was still shivering uncontrollably. Jack gave a slight smile to her stubborness, but still would not allow her to get up.

"We need for you to get warmed up and rested. That's all you need to think about." He assured her.

By the time Jack had built the fire up, Elizabeth had passed out. Jack changed out of his soaked clothes and curled up next to her.

. . .

Whimpering moans woke Jack up in the middle of the night. Elizabeth was tossing and turning, and had pushed some of the blankets off. Her hair clung damply to her face, and her fever had risen. Jack tried not to panic, but felt helpless watching her struggle unconsciously. He got a wet rag and mopped her face, trying to bring her fever down, but it didn't seem to help. He tucked the blankets back around her, and tried to sleep again, but worry kept him awake.

By the time Donovan knocked on their door soon after sunrise, Jack was up and dressed in his uniform. Elizabeth had not yet woken, and her fever had only gone down slightly. When he went to cool her face again, he noticed a trickle of red under her collar. Undoing the first button of her dress, he revealed a bright red rash spreading from her chest to her neck and groaned.

"How's she doing?" Donovan asked, stepping inside.

"Not good." Jack tried to sound calm.

"Do you think she caught the cholera?" Donovan asked.

"No, I don't think that's what it is. It seems to be scarlet fever. She must have come in contact with someone carrying the disease when she went out yesterday. Fortunately, _that_ hasn't also spread to the village yet, but I'm concerned for her."

"Well, I have good news and bad about the villagers." Donovan relayed. "The shipment of vaccines arrived this morning, but we lost two more to the disease last night – one man and a child."

Jack ran a hand over his face in distress. This job was certainly proving to be more taxing than he had imagined, and he felt that he had let the villagers down by not stopping this – though he knew he couldn't have prevented the new trappers from moving here and bringing their germs with them.

"I'm going to ask Mary to come watch over Elizabeth, and then I'll join you at the post." Jack told Donovan.

Jack trudged through the deep snow to the general store, which also held an office for the mounties. When he joined Donovan, they had expected a lineup of the entire village to be there to receive inoculations, but the building was empty.

"Did you tell the chief to spread the word?" Jack asked.

"Yes." the mountie replied. "And I would think that in light of the deaths that had occurred, they would realize how important this is."

Finally, the chief showed up.

"They not come. Believe white man try to kill with this..." he made hand motions toward the needles they had ready.

"They are dying because they don't have this." Donovan tried to explain. "This can stop any more deaths from occurring! Can you convince them of that?"

The chief rubbed his hand across his chin thoughtfully. "I have idea. Will come back soon."

About an hour later, the chief returned with a large crowd of villagers. Some had puffy eyes from their recent loss. Others looked scared, and some just curious. They drew back from the sight of the needles and formed a wide circle around the two mounties.

"I go first." The chief told Jack, trying to look brave. "Or maybe if white men go first, that will show them too."

"I've already been vaccinated." Jack said. "I can give the vaccine to Donovan though."

Donovan nodded and removed his jacket, then rolled up his shirt-sleeve. A hush fell over the group as Jack administered the inoculation. Although Donovan did little more than wince, they did not seem to appreciate the drop of blood that appeared where the needle had been. Jack repeated the process for the chief, and who then spoke in their native language to the crowd, urging them that it was safe. Eventually Jack and Donovan had a line of villagers. They were extra gentle and spoke comforting words to encourage them. A few of the children shed tears at the pinch of the needle, but overall, they seemed convinced to go through with this rather than face the same fate that had befallen too many already.

"I wish we had a vaccine for scarlet fever also." Jack said as they cleaned up.

"I know. You should ask the medicine woman in the village to have a look at Elizabeth, at least. Maybe she has something that will help." Donovan suggested.

"I will. Do you mind being on duty today so that I can be with Elizabeth?" Jack asked.

"Of course. You go take care of your wife."

Jack stopped by the wigwam that the village's medicine woman lived in, and she followed him back to the cabin.

It felt hot and humid as soon as they stepped through the door. Elizabeth had not woken, but her head rolled with the symptoms of the fever still and she shook slightly. Mary shook her head when she met his questioning gaze – no, she had not improved.

"I tried to get her to drink, but it wouldn't work." Mary said.

The medicine woman knelt by her side and unbuttoned more of Elizabeth's neck and upper chest. Jack tried not to blush that she was revealing more than was modest, even though they were married, it felt odd to have a crowd around Elizabeth in this situation. The woman shook her head and pointed to the rash, while exclaiming something in her native tongue. She sorted through her leather pouch for some herbs, and then went to the kitchen to grind them into a paste, which she then spread on the rash.

When she was done she rose to leave, and clasped Jack's hands in her own, deep sympathy in her eyes. She spoke more of her language to him, which Jack understood most of. Basically, she told him that all they could do was wait, but it didn't look good.

"I brought you over some stew Jack, " Mary told him. "You need to eat, you know." she said gently, and pushed a bowl into his hands.

"I'm not hungry." he told her. "I just want to sit with her."

"You won't be much help if you starve yourself." Mary urged. "You eat that and then I'll leave you be."

Jack gave in, and ate quickly, praying for his wife the whole time, then pushed the bowl aside and knelt next to her.

"Have faith, Jack." Mary said softly, before closing the door behind her.

A frightful afternoon turned into another long and sleepless night for Jack. Elizabeth's fever spiked again as the night went on. Jack held her hands and whispered to her, and tried to cool her face off every so often.

"Elizabeth." he murmured. "This is my fault. I know this life has been hard on you, and you should be in a real town, with a real doctor. Just pull through this for me."

Finally, he could stay awake no longer, and fell asleep next to her.

The next morning, Elizabeth groaned and squinted at the sunlight coming in the living room window. She felt weak and parched. The fire was burning low to her right, and Jack was passed out on her left, curled up on the bearskin rug, one arm tightly about her. All of the blankets that they owned were piled on herself. Jack had not even taken one for himself. Elizabeth smiled at his sleeping face, a frown formed even in that state. She weakly pushed one of the blankets onto him, moving his arm and waking him in the process.

His eyes opened and he blinked at her, slowly realizing that she was awake.

"Elizabeth!" he exclaimed, and quickly brought a hand to her face. Her fever had broken. A small sob escaped him. "I didn't think you were going to make it." he told her. "I was so afraid."

"I'm ok, I'm fine." he smiled at her husband as he embraced her tightly, happy to be with such a caring and loving man. It was rare that Jack let such emotion show, and she much preferred his smile to tears, but felt greatly loved that he was effected so strongly by her well-being.


End file.
